Have You Tried Linux Lately?

Full disclosure: I’ve used Linux for 17 years so I am biased

Hardy Heron? That probably means nothing to most people, but it was the code name for Ubuntu 8.04 — the Linux distro I first used so many years ago. At the time, I was working for IBM, and my work laptop ran Red Hat Enterprise Linux. While this might count as my first experience with Linux, I mainly used it to file expense reports and log my time. It didn’t give me much of a taste for what Linux could really do. Still, it piqued my curiosity enough to give Linux a real try. Eventually, I built yet another machine from the mountain of spare parts I had lying around at home and installed Ubuntu 8.04. After burning the ISO file to a CD, I got Ubuntu up and running for the first time.

I thought Ubuntu was a bit on the ugly side back then, but I was fascinated with the idea of running a free, open-source operating system and the software that came with it. I agreed with Richard Stallman's philosophy regarding software freedom. To be honest, I was also kind of broke, so the idea of building a PC from spare parts and not having to buy a Windows license or risk using a “cracked” version of XP was very appealing. OpenOffice opened my old MS Office files, and it was free. Firefox was okay for browsing. I could check email, edit documents, surf the web, and more. Why would I need Windows? The ease of customization and the seemingly endless possibilities amazed me. Additionally, Ubuntu ran perfectly on some seriously outdated hardware — something I couldn’t have imagined with Windows.

Since that initial experience, I’ve been a big advocate for Linux. Not only have I run dozens of distributions myself, but I’ve also installed it on many machines for other folks. My mom had an aging PC that was a magnet for malware, so I installed Kubuntu for her. It worked well for her needs. Meanwhile, my grandfather had an ancient Dell laptop that ran XP about as well as a toaster would, so I put Xubuntu on it. He spent far less time waiting for things to launch and more time browsing the web and checking email. The list goes on as I was always looking for reasons to suggest Linux to others. At the time, I worked in IT and had a PC repair business on the side, giving me plenty of opportunities to make this suggestion. Many people rejected the idea, but those who were open-minded and let me install Linux for them seemed to have a great experience with it.

All these years later, I’m still running Linux on every machine I own. My 2013 Mac Mini, bought used from a friend several years ago, runs Batocera and serves as my retro game emulation box in the living room. My PC, both of my laptops, and my wife’s gaming PC are all running Fedora KDE. Ubuntu Server powers my home server, while my wife’s older laptop runs Linux Mint. The only exceptions are my son’s gaming PC and laptop — he likes to play online games with anticheat software that either don’t work on Linux yet or will detect he’s using it and ban him.

So yeah, I love Linux and will continue to use it and advocate for it. Don’t misunderstand my enthusiasm — I’m not one of those elitist Linux users who looks down on others. I won’t judge you for using Windows or Mac. I truly believe many people have the wrong idea about Linux or had a bad experience with a poorly chosen distro in the past. If more developers understood what Linux has to offer, they’d be on board too.

If I were a betting man, I’d bet you use a MAC

Most of the developers I know use a MacBook Pro. I’ve even been forced to use one at a couple of companies where I worked, which is how I got my first taste of macOS.

For whatever reason, Macs became the go-to machine for developers. The consensus seems to be that they’re great because they offer a Unix-like shell while still having access to commercial software. To be honest, part of it probably boils down to status. Personally, I don’t get the appeal of status symbols. If anything, seeing someone fire up an old, ugly Lenovo running Linux is more impressive. It shows they’re a power user who knows value. Neck-beard status achieved! To each their own, though.

Don’t get me wrong — I don’t think Macs are terrible or even the worst option out there. Have you ever tried modern Windows on low-end hardware? I’ve worked for companies that issued both Windows laptops and MacBook Pros, and I’d generally prefer a MacBook Pro.

My main complaint about Apple products is threefold: they’re underpowered, overpriced, and overhyped. There’s also this walled garden mentality — you’re locked in, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Apple used to be innovative and make high-quality products, but those days seem to have faded since Steve Jobs passed away. Now, their focus seems to be on aesthetics and endless upsells: Apple Care, iCloud, Apple Music, etc. None of these services are better than alternatives, yet they’re almost always more expensive. “Yeah, well, the new iPhone has a 120 Hz refresh rate!” My OnePlus phone had that five years ago.

In my opinion, Macs became the default machine for developers because of their ease of use, portability, and MacOS being better than Windows for most dev tasks (unless you’re deep into Microsoft’s ecosystem). Their laptops were often thinner and lighter than competitors. You get some Unix-like benefits without needing to know much about Linux to start. The desktop environment is decent enough, and the software selection does the job.

A developer who’s used a MacBook before can sit down at a new one, log in, and immediately know which apps to install and commands to run. Since so many developers have used Macs for years, there’s an almost hive-mind consensus about what everyone should use. My brief experiences with a MacBook confirmed this — I asked my buddy what he used, installed the same apps quickly, and was ready to work in no time. Combine that with the fact that many developers also own iPhones (which I still don’t understand at all), and you begin to see why so many devs have defaulted to Macs for years.

”But Macs are perfect for developers because…”

Commercial software, a Unix-like shell, ease of use, already being in the ecosystem… Why do you prefer Macs for development? No, I’m really asking. Whatever your reason may be, I might understand — but I’ll probably disagree anyway. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of devs and heard every excuse in the book. Still, I’ve always had a counterpoint to every one of them.

Just so you know, Linux has amazing software — even commercial options are available. The list of popular apps for Linux grows every month. Now, if you use Adobe Suite, why? Yes, you can get it running on Linux, but it takes some effort and Googling. If you make videos, try DaVinci Resolve (if you must pay) or Kdenlive (free). For Photoshop users: if you rely heavily on paid add-ons for professional work, I get sticking with it. But if you’re an occasional editor, just learn GIMP. Bonus: there are even open-source packages and wrappers that make GIMP’s layout resemble Photoshop more closely.

VS Code, Figma, Spotify, Slack, Signal, Cursor, Postman—the full JetBrains suite is available for Linux too. So are Google Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Zoom, and countless other apps devs use daily. Many of the binaries Mac users install via Homebrew are part of core Linux, so no extra steps are needed to install them. SDKMan, NVM, Crates, Yarn, Pip, and so many other package managers are available for Linux. Your choice of containers, virtual machines, and cloud providers all have Linux options. When you compare Mac vs. Linux for developers honestly and open-mindedly, Linux wins outright. Plus, it’s more lightweight — a Linux machine will outperform a similarly specced Mac or Windows PC every time. Before my last employer switched to federated modules, I sometimes had to run 29GB of Docker containers to set up a host environment. Even with only 32GB of RAM in that machine, my developer experience wasn’t really compromised.

Linux is starting to show up everywhere

You might not realize it, but you’re probably already using Linux. Own a Steam Deck? That runs SteamOS — Valve’s custom Linux distro. Roku, TiVo, most smart TVs and watches, car infotainment systems, in-flight entertainment, digital signs, self-driving cars, smart refrigerators… the list goes on. And let’s not forget big players like NASA, the US DoD, the NYSE, and CERN — all running Linux.

For years, this made perfect sense because desktop Linux was… well, let’s just say it wasn’t as polished as it is today. Plus, there was that steep learning curve when something inevitably went sideways (or just broke). These days? Linux holds about 5% of the desktop market—and that number’s growing fast. Back in my early Linux days, we were happy to see less than 1%. Now? The growth has really accelerated.

Remember those infamous Linux Tech Tips videos attempting to game or use Linux as a daily driver? Or when PewDiePie switched and became Linux’s loudest cheerleader overnight? High-profile figures are increasingly championing (or at least experimenting with) Linux, and their followers are taking notice.

If you haven’t tried Linux in a while, you probably have the wrong idea about it

Gone are the days of clunky interfaces, limited apps, and missing features compared to Windows or macOS. Modern Linux desktops are sleek with an incredible software selection. Take my gaming PC running Fedora KDE — it handles nearly every game in my library! Thanks to Wayland advancements, I can finally use HDR on my 4K monitor for a wider color gamut and smooth 144Hz gaming. The desktop environments have matured significantly, and hardware support has improved with NVIDIA’s better Linux drivers (and AMD’s kernel-integrated drivers). You don’t need terminal expertise anymore — most users barely open it.

Linux packaging has evolved too! In the past, you’d either use package managers or compile from source. This fragmentation meant apps had to be packaged differently for each package manager. Enter Flatpak and Snap: sandboxed, universal packages that work across distributions (and are now nearly universally supported). Popular cross-platform apps increasingly use these formats. Even AppImages — executable files that run on any Linux machine — make software installation easier.

Gaming on Linux has never been better, with Valve leading the charge through Steam Deck compatibility and Proton for Windows games. Other stores like Epic or GOG? No problem! Tools like Heroic Games Launcher or Lutris make them accessible to Linux users too. Community efforts like ProtonDBfurther enhance this ecosystem by tracking game compatibility.

The list goes on: screencasting, media editing, development — Linux now handles it all with polished interfaces and unmatched customization options. And remember, it’s free! If you can create a bootable drive, there’s nothing stopping you from trying Linux again (or for the first time).

Maybe this is finally the year of the Linux desktop? Maybe not. Either way, if your last experience was years ago, it’s worth another look.